da vinci diamonds free slot game online
Savvy or desperate? WA Liberals welcome Nick Goiran back into fold after 'Clan' exileDALLAS — While the Dallas Mavericks dropped their Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday, and Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury during it, he and the team still found ways to share holiday cheer. After the game, the team posted on social media that Doncic gifted his Mavericks teammates and staff with Segway go-karts. Several players were filmed taking the go-karts for a spin in the American Airlines Center. “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Klay Thompson could be heard saying in the video as he sped by in the GoKart Pro 2. Luka is spreading Christmas cheer once again 🎁🎅 This year, he gifted @Segway Gokarts to the team and basketball staff. Just call him Luka Claus! @luka7doncic // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/iQrv5ZXriS The go-karts can reach speeds of nearly 30 mph and retail for nearly $2,000, according to Segway’s website. This year wasn’t the first time Luka Claus paid the Mavericks team and staff a visit. Last year, the team posted a video showing Doncic gifted the team electric bicycles. Now that the Christmas holiday is over, though, the Mavericks are bracing for the potential of Doncic missing an extended period of time as he undergoes an MRI Thursday, NBA Insider Shams Charania reported. It was the second game back for Doncic after he missed two games with a left heel contusion. Doncic has a history of issues with his left calf, missing all or most of the past two preseasons while previously sitting the first three games of the 2022 playoffs.
With each team coming off a come-from-behind win, West Virginia and North Carolina Central square off Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia (6-2) has won two straight games and is in the midst of a 16-day, four-game homestand that kicked off with a 73-60 win over Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night. North Carolina Central (4-7) comes off a 78-77 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown as they overcame a second-half deficit with a decisive run. "The way we played in the second half (against Georgetown), I'll take that team everywhere," West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. "You have to be able to do that every single night, every single possession you don't always get to go on a 16-0 run to pull you out of it. That's where we are still growing as a team." Eduardo Andre was questionable for the Georgetown game after he missed the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. But the fifth-year senior center returned with four points, three rebounds and four blocks. "It was good to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "That presence, especially defensively and the ability to block shots, that's a huge deal for us." Against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his 17.4 points per game average, as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win on a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson. On offense, the Eagles take care of the ball. They are seventh in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.5 per game. They seek extra possessions on defense and are second nationally with 18.9 turnovers forced per game "We're good enough, we just need to fine tune some things," NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said. "We've got to cross some T's, dot some I's and close. We can't be a really good basketball team until we get the mindset that when winning time presents itself in the last five minutes, (the other team) has to earn it." --Field Level MediaOpen Text Corp. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketIt's time for Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to bench Kirk Cousins, but he probably won't for a non-football reason. The Cousins experiment is failing in Atlanta. The Falcons (6-7) lost their fourth consecutive game on Sunday, 42-21 to the Vikings (11-2). During Atlanta's losing streak, Cousins is 88-of-141 (62.4 percent) for 1,068 yards, no touchdowns and eight interceptions. It's been outscored by 55 points this season, 37 points more than through 13 games last season when Desmond Ridder was its primary starting quarterback. With the season slipping away, Week 15 against the lowly Raiders would be the perfect time to turn to rookie Michael Penix Jr., who the Falcons unexpectedly selected with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft a month after signing Cousins in free agency. Atlanta formed a contingency plan in case of a Cousins catastrophe. If you're going to install a fire extinguisher, you can't be afraid to break glass in case of emergency. So, why not use Penix? The Falcons have 180 million reasons to keep their faith in Cousins. He's only one year into a four-year, $180 million contract he signed during the offseason. On Monday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell noted that Atlanta is "on the hook for a $27.5 million guaranteed base salary next season." "If the Falcons bench Cousins, there's a real chance they have to eat money to trade him this offseason," Barnwell added. If NFL teams' last 2024 memories of Cousins are his current zero-touchdown, eight-interception, four-game streak, he shouldn't command much interest on the trade market. And even if Atlanta finds a willing trade partner, Barnwell writes that the Falcons "will have paid him $90 million for one year of work." Atlanta's wallet needs Cousins to be successful. Per Spotrac , the Falcons would incur a $37.5 million dead cap hit in 2025 (or spread between the 2025 and 2026 seasons) by trading the four-time Pro Bowler. Atlanta already projects to have one of the league's worst salary-cap situations entering the offseason, ranking 28th in estimated cap space ($7.6 million). ( h/t Over The Cap ) The Falcons must improve their defense during the offseason by adding an edge-rusher and cornerback, which won't come cheap. Based on Cousins' performance, it's becoming increasingly harder to justify Atlanta keeping him in the starting lineup. If it were up to us, he'd be benched for Cousins. But we aren't footing the bill.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police Monday fired tear gas canisters at supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop them from entering the capital, where they hoped to stage a sit-in to demand his release, officials said. The firing of tear gas came shortly after demonstrators — who traveled 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the restive northwest — began arriving and gathering near Islamabad. They defied a lockdown, previous tear gas and widespread arrests despite a ban on rallies in the city. The development came a day after the leadership of Khan’s party went ahead with the “long march” even as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived for a three-day visit. He was received at an airport near the capital by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday evening. Authorities said at least one police officer was killed and several officers and demonstrators were injured in clashes. The marchers appeared determined to enter Islamabad, where the lockdown, which has been in place for two days, has disrupted daily life. The government was in talks with Khan's party to avoid any further violence, officials said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters after midnight that the government is willing to allow Khan supporters to rally on the outskirts of Islamabad but he threatened extreme measures if they entered the city to protest. Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. A convoy of vehicles carrying protesters was expected to enter the capital Monday night. Security officials say they expect between 9,000 and 11,000 demonstrators, while the PTI says the number will be much higher. Video on social media showed Khan supporters donning gas masks and protective goggles. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible. Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in Punjab province, where shipping containers were used to block roads. Video circulating online showed some protesters operating heavy machinery to remove the containers. “We are determined, and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march,” PTI senior leader Kamran Bangash told The Associated Press. “We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads." Bangash also said Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur , the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan’s party remains in power. Earlier, almost 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Islamabad, Bibi, wearing a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to achieve their goal and free Khan. She then chanted, “God is great” and left. Khan’s main political opponent, Sharif, heads the current government. Sharif’s spokesperson, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, the PTI “begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy.” Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country's fragile economy. Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds. Khan supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks. In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns,” which the PTI said affected its call on social media for a protest. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023. Khan has been sentenced in several cases. His convictions were later overturned on appeal but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
None
Adam Schiff sworn in to U.S. Senate, reflects on ‘big senatorial shoes to fill’Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV.
Saturday, November 23, 2024 “Hoteliers wanting to drive direct sales shouldn’t rely solely on rapid AI-based placements for their marketing strategy in 2025” warned Mirai’s Pablo Delgado during an executive panel at Phocuswright – taking place this week in Phoenix, Arizona – titled ‘Travel’s tech driven retail revolution’. Instead the Mirai CEO for the Americas recommeded that hotels focus on brand protection campaigns and established social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. When asked for Mirai’s view on the impact of AI on direct hotel sales, Delgado nonetheless confirmed that “incorporating AI to gain first-mover advantage should be on your 2025 agenda, but just not the sole objective for the year”. Moderated by Phocuswright’s Lorraine Sileo, the panel looked at how AI is shaking up the world of online travel sales and also included TripAdvisor’s President Kristen Dalton and Sojern’s Chief Revenue Officer Noreen Henry. During the panel Delgado outlined how Mirai – whose technology helps hoteliers maximise revenues in the direct channel – is advising clients to “learn and innovate if they have enough budget, particularly to participate in the planning stage or upper funnel and especially when it comes to the new placements (social and AI-based tools) so they have the first mover advantage when the time does finally come”. However, he pointed out too that the marketing landscape is still dominated by Google – for advertising, Google Hotels and organic search – as well as by the big OTAs. “This is likely to continue for a very long time, they have signifcant resources and inbuilt advantages such as the data they have, the great teams they have and so on. Nor should we rule out that AI developments might mean that other online players like Amazon or Meta or Microsoft could make an entry into the travel space too”."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
Franklin Cudjoe, President of the policy think tank IMANI Africa, has expressed his enthusiasm for former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed anti-corruption initiative, Operation-Recover-All-Loot (ORAL), and has even lobbied for a role in leading the program if Mahama wins the 2024 elections. In a social media post, Cudjoe stated, “I kinda love Operation Recover All Loot. Wouldn’t mind being made a Chief Hunter of the Loot.😇 The list is comprehensive!” His comments reflect his strong support for Mahama’s ambitious plan to recover stolen state funds and assets, which Cudjoe believes could restore public trust and promote accountability within the government. Mahama, the 2024 presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has promised to implement ORAL if elected, aiming to address the widespread corruption that has undermined public institutions. The initiative is designed to track down and recover misappropriated funds and assets, with a focus on transparency and justice. The ORAL campaign is seen as a significant step toward restoring fiscal discipline and integrity in Ghana’s government, responding to the growing public demand for ethical leadership. By launching this initiative, Mahama aims to ensure that those responsible for illicit enrichment are held accountable, marking a pivotal moment in Ghana’s political landscape.
After 17 years, Thrive Allen County’s vision is more clear than ever. In fact, some might call it a masterpiece. Thrive CEO Lisse Regehr said that’s exactly what her team hoped to create as they celebrated the organization’s anniversary with an annual awards banquet Friday evening at Allen Community College. The theme was “Creating a Masterpiece, Together.” “Every person, program, business, organization and institution creates a brushstroke that falls onto a broader canvas, creating our own Allen County masterpiece. Each of you and what you do for our community make up a piece of that artwork,” Regehr said. She shared her hope that the awards ceremony would inspire those in attendance to continue to work toward opportunities for growth, hope and the future. The awards are given to individuals, businesses and organizations that create a healthy, vibrant community. More than 300 attendees gathered to celebrate. The night’s top honors were a surprise. Humboldt City Administrator Cole Herder won the final prize of the evening, the Donna Talkington Award, which exemplifies commitment and dedication in public service. Last year’s winner, Mary Kay Heard of Iola Industries, presented the award. “Cole has made himself a pillar of support to countless individuals, local businesses, and organizations,” Heard said in handing the award to Herder. “The deep love he shows for his work and the community is evident in both his professional leadership and his personal relationships. Whether offering support to new businesses, lending a hand to local initiatives, or simply being present for those in need, Cole’s selflessness shines through in every aspect of his life. He is the epitome of a civil servant, consistently fostering connection and growth within his community, leaving a legacy that will endure for generations to come.” Linda Johnson, a retired kindergarten teacher, was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year award. Johnson’s efforts may go unseen, Diana Dashnaw Stephens explained in a video tribute. Even after she retired, she continued to volunteer at the elementary school to read to children and assist in various ways at the school. She also serves as an usher at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. “This year’s recipient might be small, but her contributions to our community are vast,” said Max Andersen, a senior at Iola High School who presented the award. “Radiating positivity and generosity wherever she goes, her warm smile is a constant fixture in the community. Linda never hesitates to offer her support and resources to benefitting our community.” AHEAD OF the award presentations, Regehr outlined Thrive’s achievements over the past year. Perhaps most notably, Thrive received its largest and longest-running grant in August: a five-year, $11.9 million CMS Navigator grant to continue its work to ensure rural and underserved communities have access to health insurance. Thrive Kansas offers Kansas CARES (coordinating and assisting reliable enrollment services), providing workers who help communities across the state help their residents enroll in health insurance plans, and Medicaid and Medicare programs. They also help clients with issues such as utility and food assistance. Regehr shared examples such as a staff member who worked for two years to help a woman qualify for disability status, or helping people obtain driver’s licenses or finding jobs. Also this summer, Thrive created a new non-profit, Allen Regional Transit (ART) to offer public transportation to anyone within a 115-mile radius. In 2023, ART provided 4,925 rides. So far this year, they’ve given more than 6,000 rides to places such as doctor’s appointments, court dates, and social security offices. Thrive made progress this year to address childcare and early childhood development through its initiative, Zero to Thrive. Advocate Logan Stenseng, policy and strategic initiatives coordinator, received the Childcare Advocate of the Year award from the Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas The Southeast Kansas Recovery Resources program continued efforts to support those affected by substance misuse, and raised more than $13,000 to continue Thrive’s Recovery House.
